By Ishaya Ibrahim
Governor-elect of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has promised that his government would serve all, whether they voted for him or not.
Ihedioha, a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, won the Imo State governorship contest under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 273,404 votes. His closest rival, Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA), polled 190,364 votes.
The Governor-elect said under his watch, no section of the state would be excluded. He addressed a world press conference in Owerri on Thursday.
“My fellow citizens, I will be governor to all Ndi-lmo both those who voted for us and those who did not. No part is greater or more important than the other. We are equal stakeholders in the Imo project and must, therefore, ensure that our people are united in the pursuant of the common good.
“We will run an all-inclusive government and not a government of exclusion. Ours will be a government that will promote the unity of the state, rather than accentuate the fissures that have characterised our relationship with each other in recent times,” he said.
On the style of his administration, Ihedioha said it would strictly be open, transparent and accountable, with due process being its hallmark.
“I believe strongly that those in positions of authority must render an account of their stewardship to the people. The era of brazenness in Imo State is gone,” he said.
The Governor-elect promised not to waste any time in translating his campaign promises into tangible goods and services for the people.
“We entered into a social contract with you with our manifesto and we shall remain faithful to our obligations in that contract. This contract seeks to substantially improve the welfare, security, property rights, economic and social advancement of our people. We shall find creative ways of funding our ambitious infrastructural projects and give Imo the quality education, healthcare and general good governance that you desire,” he said.
He added that the decay in the last eight years makes it imperative that the redemptive work starts immediately.
“To kick-start the rebuilding process, I shall set up in the coming days, a Transition Team with clear terms of reference. This team will liaise with the outgoing government to collate and collect information on the state of affairs of our State. They will recommend the structure of our government.
“They will translate our campaign promises into actionable executive and legislative policies with clear timelines. In summary, they will be charged with making far-reaching recommendations on the way forward for our dear state that has suffered from years of brigandage, lack of direction, Ad-Hoc approach to governance and lack of due process,” he said.